A Matter of Intuition
by b'shert
Summary: Prequel to IUW that takes place six days into Callie and Jude Jacob's placement with the Adams Fosters. In over their heads with two more children in their charge, Stef and Lena are none the wiser when Callie hits a significant milestone in her life. Upon learning the truth, they are moved to action to make it up to her as a family. Short fic. Jude, Callie, Moms.
1. Chapter 1

**Author Note:**

Five chapters I hope you'll enjoy.

The original idea for this came from a request by **Once Upon a Grey's Fan** and I was so thrilled when it came together. Thank you so much for your patience (it's been well over a year since we talked about this!). With any luck, it'll bring to life a bit of what you had envisioned.

As always, thank you to **theypreferthetermpeople **for being my second set of eyes and for all her work on this story. ~b'shert

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_Chapter 1_

"Alright. That's probably enough veggies for the week," Lena said to herself as she scanned the contents of her shopping cart. It was after school and she had Jude with her at the store. The boy had been very patient and well-behaved, occupying himself while she struggled to determine suitable quantities in their weekly grocery trip. He and his older sister had joined them six days ago and figuring out how to feed a family of seven in one shopping trip had been a steep learning curve.

Although by now she would usually be starting dinner and facilitating homework before Stef got home, today they'd asked the older kids to walk back together. The plan was for Stef to leave right at the end of her shift and meet them there. That way, Lena could have Jude on her own.

So far, it'd been a bit of a juggle to get one-on-one time with their new additions. Recognizing how important it was for Callie and Jude to get settled into their new digs, their only expectation at the moment was for them to show up for meals and sit down together for homework. They could excuse themselves at any point. For now, the arrangement worked well since the siblings weren't shy about going off to be by themselves. Whenever possible, they would hang out in the backyard or the den, which had been turned into a temporary bedroom. She and Stef periodically checked in but for the most part, gave them time by themselves—trusting that relationships would naturally fall into place as the kids became more comfortable with them.

They were in the thick of the initial adjustment phase: overseeing the transition to the new school, monitoring assignments to determine the level of help needed, scheduling health appointments, and purchasing necessities. Given _she _found all of this exhausting, she could only imagine how overwhelming it had to be for Callie and Jude. Giving space where possible was the kindest thing they could offer to ease them into a new routine.

Despite the hecticness, the decision to temporarily add to their family had been an easy one. Two smooth years with Mariana and Jesus had them confident that the twins were secure enough to handle an additional sibling or two. She had anticipated some growing pains with shared attention and bedrooms, but so far had been pleasantly surprised by three impatient children who were curious and excited at the prospect of additional playmates. All had been on their best behaviour, as if understanding that the bulk of their parents' attention needed to be on helping Callie and Jude settle in over the next little while. Even Mariana, who had initially balked at the newly implemented shower schedule—a result of learning their hot water tank wasn't large enough for everyone—rallied.

Suddenly noticing the boy was no longer by her side, Lena spun around. "Jude?"

Panic gave way to relief when she saw him on tiptoes, peering in the bakery's display cabinet. She grabbed another bag of apples before walking over. After not fostering for years, she had forgotten how nerve wracking it could be at times. Since the fostering agreement stipulated that children in their care should never be left unsupervised, she always tried to keep them within arm's reach.

"Hey, there. I thought I'd lost you for a second."

Not having heard his foster mother approach, Jude nearly jumped out of his skin. "Sorry! I—I was just looking," he defended. "Oh. Hi, Miss Lena," he said, seeing who it was when he turned around. Realizing he'd wandered away, he searched her face, afraid she was unhappy.

"It's okay. You're allowed to look. Thank you for not going too far away so I could still find you, though," Lena said, by way of a gentle reminder to stay close. She regretted saying anything when his face dropped.

Sorry," Jude apologized. Lena didn't seem mad but he was unable to relax.

"It's okay. It's not a big deal," Lena reassured, giving him a kind smile. She was unsettled by the alarmed reaction, which she felt was disproportionate her remark. "Remember, you can just call me Lena," she reminded him. " He'd started using the honorific when she had taken him up to school for his placement exam so she could enroll him. It was sweet but a little too teacherly when she was home, and even at school, Anchor Beach students typically called the faculty by their first names.

"Okay."

Lena stooped down to the child's level, wrapping an arm around him and giving his shoulder a squeeze. He still looked so dejected and shaken that she wanted to do anything to communicate they were on good terms.

"Are you hungry?" She had offered him a snack in the car but was now worried that he hadn't gotten enough to eat today.

"Nope, I'm good!" Jude lied. His stomach complained audibly, begging to differ.

Lena frowned. "It's alright if you are. You've had a big day." Receiving nothing substantial in the way of a response, she asked if he'd eaten lunch. The children had been given money for the cafeteria but she wondered if Jude had made it there to purchase food. Brandon and Jesus had told her that they didn't see him and Callie in the lunchroom. But Jude had insisted he had and there was no reason to doubt him. Until they figured out what was going on, she and Stef were extra vigilant about meals and snacks when the kids were with them.

Their concerns mostly stemmed from what they saw as disorganized behaviour around eating—the forgetfulness and needing frequent reminders of mealtimes, as well as consuming very little or too much—that suggested the kids might have had to go without regular meals previously. Both appeared small, but it was hard to tell.

Lena scrutinized his reaction. "Are you sure? There's nothing in there you would like?" She had the impression neither him nor Callie were ones to ask for anything.

Jude glanced longingly at the sweets. He really wanted the one with the purple icing and matching sprinkles. He _needed_ it.

No," he said, refusing to get his hopes up. If Callie were here, she'd tell him not to accept anything from Lena. To be careful about asking for stuff until they got a better read on the women, _in_ _case_. They hadn't been at this house very long and the last thing he wanted was to ruin it by not following his sister's advice. But he also thought Lena was nice and not pretending to be.

"Tell you what. I always hit the bakery last when I'm here, even though Stef might disagree. She thinks we should go first." She winked at the boy, getting a shy smile in return. "How about we finish finding everything on our list? If you know what you'd like by the time we make it back here, you can pick one thing." Her heart warmed when he brightened at the idea; he was so transparent. She didn't normally make allowances for sugary treats but felt it important to ensure a positive interaction. Apparently needing to consider the offer, the boy's expression grew serious before he decided the plan was suitable. "Okay!" he said in his cheerful way again. "I'm ready to help!"

Lena smiled at his enthusiasm as he slipped his hand into hers. Jude was always ready to help. Some days, he stuck around in the background so he could move to action whenever someone remotely alluded to wanting something.

In the next aisle, they loaded the cart with more staples. Together they picked up eggs, carefully inspecting each one in the carton. As usual, no matter how much Lena encouraged Jude to express his preferences, he insisted he was easy. It didn't take her very long to figure out that he was more than willing to open up when the focus was on his sister and what _she_ liked. Or what things had been like at their last home.

They made a quick stop into the canned food aisle before heading to the deli. "Hey, Jude. Grab two roast chickens, please?" She figured it would be an easy dinner with leftovers for chicken salad sandwiches. "Careful, it's hot," she cautioned as he reached into the warmer for the prepackaged containers.

Midday meals back on her mind, she made an effort to revisit the topic. "For lunch, does someone usually pack you one to take to school or do you get money to buy it yourself?" She refrained from using the words _parents _or _home_, to avoid assigning meaning where there might be none. It was an important detail to sort out, however. She was determined to try and replicate some of his old routines to help him be more comfortable with them.

"Both…sometimes from our foster home and sometimes school," Jude replied. He was careful not to share too much in case it got back to Bill. That had happened before and it had ended badly. Callie always said stuff like that from the past could change the way new foster parents treated them, too.

It wasn't the whole truth but it wasn't really a lie, either. They couldn't count on getting lunch at the last place they lived but he and Callie figured it out, like they always had. His school had a hot breakfast program he was enrolled in and by arriving early, he had time for two helpings. The first he'd eat there and the second he'd save for later. That made up lunch on days they didn't get one and if they did, it was good for after school or at night. Having a stash meant he didn't have to worry as much when he was hungry.

When schools didn't have a hot food program, that made things a lot harder if foster parents weren't giving them enough. He'd finish what friends didn't of their lunches or hang around after the first bell and take whatever was left on nearby trays. That was risky, though, and embarrassing. There had been times he had faked a headache so he would be sent to the nurse's office for a juicebox, pocketing snacks from the coatroom cubbies on the way there and back. Callie was braver than he was. When they got really desperate, she would load her tray in the cafeteria lineup and walk through without paying so they could both eat. The staff never stopped her but eventually a teacher noticed and they paid for it in a different way once they got home. Over the years, they'd eaten a lot of stolen food.

"What did the cafeteria at your old school have that you liked?"

Jude thought of his favourites. "Chicken nuggets and peas and carrots and _chocolate_ milk! And fish sticks!"

Lena laughed at his enthusiasm. Unfortunately, Anchor Beach didn't have either protein option. "Jesus loves chicken nuggets and fish sticks, too." She committed that piece of info into memory, vowing to make the homemade versions of both for Jude. "What about on days you don't have lunch money? What sorts of things did you take?"

"Um, canned spaghetti or ravioli and a fruit cup. Sandwiches." He grinned when his new foster mom narrowed her eyes in disapproval. In the other aisle he'd learned that she did not buy canned anything except for tomatoes or corn or black beans. She'd walked right past the Alphaghettis!

"How did you open it at school, Jude?" the woman asked, confused.

"There's a tab like a soda can, and you just pull on it and it goes pop! And the whole top rips right off and you can eat it right out of there!"

"I see..." Refraining from saying anything judgmental, Lena took a deep breath. Processed pasta and fruit in sugar water was not a complete meal in her books. A sandwich had potential, however, and something she could work with if it meant getting a lunch into him. "You know who loves sandwiches? _Stef_. She takes one almost everyday and I bet she would make you one, too. What do you like in them?"

Her heart fell at his response. "Mustard on one side and mayonnaise on the other, and a baloney in the middle!" he declared as if it was the best thing in the world. Unless there was half a pack of deli meat in between the bread, there was no way anyone would find that filling.

Noticing a hint of sadness on the woman's face, Jude went serious, wondering if he had said something wrong. "It's okay, Lena. I'll eat anything. Your lunches are really good." They were, and he didn't want Lena to think he was fussy. He wasn't.

Lena nodded, getting the sense that Jude was uncomfortable. "How about...a chicken salad sandwich with cheese, lettuce, and tomato…some veggie soup in a thermos, and apple slices?" she suggested, mealplanning with what they had in the cart. They'd get good mileage out of the rotisserie chickens. She would carve them up tonight and that would make for easy lunches for the remainder of the week.

The grin returned to the young face staring up at her. "_Yeah_!" He loved lunches at this house. Sometimes hot, sometimes cold, the options were all delicious and there was always enough to put some away in his locker or backpack for later. "What do you take to school?"

"Usually I have a salad with chicken or fish, and soup on the side," Lena replied, endeared by Jude's attempt to include her in the conversation as well as finding it cute. "What about Callie? What does she do for lunch? The same as you?"

The boy shrugged. "Yup! Same as me. She did clubs that have lunch at their meetings, too. Then she could share with me," he said nonchalantly, the truth slipping easily.

Lena bit her lip at the sinking feeling the answer gave her, deliberating the best way to respond. The allusion that Callie might have orchestrated her participation so they could have lunch did not sit well with her. The more she thought of it, the more she was convinced the kids had been inadequately fed. Irregular access to meals would explain the disorganized eating...how sometimes they could sit down and inhale a full helping within minutes, while other times a few mouthfuls would have them claiming they were nauseous. Just this morning, Callie had run to the bathroom, gagging on the first bite of oatmeal.

It was the first time they had suspected malnourishment and the first time Stef had admitted they needed to speak to the children's doctor, and ASAP, about what to do. They had no experience caring for children who had been malnourished. The twins had been slight when they got them, but they were ravenous all the time and ate well. She never recalled episodes where they got sick from eating...as if their bodies weren't accustomed to the influx of calories and sugar.

"That's really responsible of Callie to plan ahead like that and wonderful of her to share," she praised in order to hide the anger from starting to grasp what had gone on. She would never understand people who decided to foster only to neglect the children in their care. Children who were already vulnerable, there for reasons out of their control, and who needed love, respect, and caring. "Did she do that because she didn't always have a lunch, or the one she had wasn't enough?" she asked, focusing on the facts rather than her emotions.

Jude nodded. "Kinda both," he admitted, not seeing the harm in doing so. "But she is smart and can cook so we were okay." It was another one of those half-truths. Callie could cook. Things had been far from okay, however.

"Is that right? What sorts of things does your sister like to cook?" Lena asked, impressed by what the boy was telling her. At thirteen, their eldest couldn't even scramble eggs. Although confused by Jude's roundabout way of having a conversation, she was all for entertaining it. What mattered was they were talking.

"Uhm...she can do eggs...mac n' cheese, and boiled rice with hot dogs. And she can make a taco kit," Jude said proudly. Callie was usually allowed to use the stove, just not the oven. "When she went to juvie she couldn't help me so it was hard when I was hungry." Unlike Callie, he wasn't supposed to be anywhere near the stove so was limited to the microwave if he ever wanted something hot. The odd time, a leftovers plate would be set aside for him that he could zap. But more often than not, he'd be out of luck and on his own to figure it out.

"What did you make for yourself when you were hungry but Callie wasn't there?" Lena questioned, recognizing they were no longer on the topic of lunches.

"Mm. Cereal and peanut butter sandwiches. Sometimes there were hashbrowns and I microwaved those. They don't fill you up, though."

"No, I can't imagine they would." Drawing in a deep breath, Lena placed a hand on Jude's shoulder as she waited for him to make eye contact. He did eventually, giving her a cautious glance that made him seem almost fearful of her. "That must have been so difficult, Jude. I'm sorry."

Realizing what he had just admitted to his new foster mom, Jude's eyes widened. "It's okay! I like all of those." He swallowed, expecting a reminder of how grateful they were to have anything to eat at all.

"I'm sure you do. But no one likes to be hungry. I know I don't," Lena pointed out. She had noticed Jude's panic and wanted to reassure him that he had done nothing wrong.

She paused, wanting to be intentional with the message she needed to convey while she had his attention. "Sometimes, my day gets really busy and I forget to eat when I'm supposed to. But I try not to let that happen, because my brain can't concentrate when my body is hungry."

Jude agreed. It _was _hard to sit in class when his belly was rumbling. And it rumbled on more days than not. Because even though Stef and Lena gave them lunch or money every day, he often...forgot. When he had money, he'd forget he had the ability to buy food. By the time he remembered he hadn't eaten, it'd almost be the end of lunch or the end of the day. Other days when he had a bagged lunch, out of habit, he'd only eat part of what was there and save the remainder for later. But then they always got fed dinner so he never got the opportunity to eat the rest of it as planned. Which reminded him, he needed to clean out his backpack. There was food in there from at least two or three days ago.

"Yeah, and sometimes if you're really hungry it hurts so bad and then you really can't think of anything."

Smiling tightly, Lena blinked back tears. She hoped that Jude hadn't experienced being so hungry that it had hurt too often. Something told her that was just wishful thinking, however. "You shouldn't be so hungry that you can't think of anything else because it's uncomfortable. That's not healthy," she began. "Feeling a little bit hungry is okay. That's how our bodies remind us that it's time to eat soon or that you've done a lot and need to refuel. But it's also not healthy to go from very hungry to very full, so we need to try and eat at regular times because that's when our body expects to be fed." She felt the pressure to get across to Jude the importance of eating when he was supposed to while they were on the topic before his attention slipped.

"Do you think you would be comfortable coming to my office if you feel like you're running low on energy? Not just when it gets so bad that it hurts but maybe you notice your head is beginning to hurt or your stomach making some noise. Or you're finding it's hard to understand your teacher." Jude's brow knitted as he tried to follow along with her explanation. "I know if Brandon or the twins have a big day—PE, and a group project, or more than one test in a day, they get hungry even if they've eaten all their food from home or school. When that happens, they come find me at the next break for snacks to tide them over to the end of the day. Because it's hard to pay attention and learn if you're hungry," she said, nudging him towards agreement.

"Okay!" That sounded great to Jude. He couldn't wait to tell Callie there was nothing to worry about; from the very beginning he'd known that Lena was pretty awesome.

"_Perfect_. And that includes Callie, as well, okay? Will you let her know all of that?" This kid was quickly endearing himself to her.

"Mmhm!"

"Remember, when we're home you can always help yourself to whatever is in the kitchen without asking. It's also absolutely fine to ask for a larger portion of something during meals; same goes for your sister. It's important you are getting enough to eat," Lena emphasized, though she was fairly certain he was no longer listening to anything coming out of her mouth. "Jude? Have you decided which treat you'd like to take home?" she asked, nodding towards the baked goods section. They had made it full circle.

"Chocolate cupcake! With the purple swirly icing and _sprinkles_!" he all but shouted, causing Lena to laugh. His voice was squeaky and high in the way prepubescent boys often sounded and he was so excited he was bouncing. Grabbing a plastic takeout container and tongs, Lena retrieved one from the very back of the display, hoping they'd be from a newer batch. It was easy to ignore her guilty conscience reminding her of its poor nutritional value with Jude stuck to her side, overjoyed, as he watched. It was well worth it. "Just this once," she said, making it clear this was just a treat.

His grin evoked in her a sense of happiness and love she couldn't believe already existed for a child who had been in her life for less than a week.

"Thanks Miss Le—_oops_! Thank you, Lena!"

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**A/N**:

I'd love to hear your thoughts.

The story has been through a couple rounds of editing but not anywhere close to the extent I'd like. Do leave feedback and let me know what worked and didn't so I know how I'm doing, it's always much appreciated. I will up my game with responding to PMs in a more timely manner as well. Hopefully, confidence will come with creating shorter pieces...allowing me to trust where the creative process takes me, do less second-guessing, and being okay with little mistakes and bigger misses, and everything in between. ~b


	2. Chapter 2

**_Chapter 2_**

"Hi, honey! How was the store?" Stef asked as she stood in front of the open fridge putting groceries away. Or she was trying to, at least. "I think we're going to need a bigger fridge," she remarked. Despite her attempts to clear space, perishables were still piled on the island and it was apparent everything wasn't going to fit. Appalled at the amount they ate, she watched as Lena disappeared out the back door again, presumably for more bags.

Given her wife did the bulk of the cooking, Stef usually did the grocery runs to spare Lena the chaos of schlepping the kids to the store after school. But at the moment they were splitting time as equally as possible with Callie and Jude and after three pm was the only time Lena could switch off with her, with the exception of weekends. It was all in an effort to get to know them. Since arriving, the siblings had rarely left each other and been on their best behaviour, accommodating anything requested of them and carefully unobtrusive. Getting them one-on-one was important not only to learn about their interests but to get a sense of their individual needs so she and Lena could start thinking about how to meet them. Being older, things weren't as simple and straightforward as when the twins had started living with them. Jesus and Mariana had been just as uncertain, unable to relax as they took everything in, but were much easier to read.

She just hoped that Lena had had better luck connecting with Jude than her efforts at home with Callie. It was hard, in a sea of homework and and three other kids who needed her attention while she defrosted a frozen meal that demanded patience she did not have. Partway through, Callie had excused herself. Stef had been reluctant to let her leave but a quick check confirmed the work was complete and there was no reason to keep her.

Once able to leave dinner unattended, she joined Callie in the family room. Much of their interaction ended up being spent in silence, with Callie content to read on the couch while she chipped away at folding the clean laundry piled onto the loveseat. Stef broached a few questions about new teachers and classes but was careful not to overwhelm her. Periodically, she ducked out to bring clothes upstairs and check on the others, trying to be respectful of Callie's privacy. Technically, the semi-public area was hers temporarily until their furniture arrived.

It'd been the best they could do on short notice but far from ideal. There was no door and the added challenge of getting Callie and Jude to stay in their own beds. Most nights, Jude would leave the den and join his sister on the couch. She would find both of them there partway through the night, heads at opposite ends. It didn't bother her or Lena but DSS policy insisted on separation between siblings of the opposite sex so they felt pressure to enforce it. Hopefully, new beds and being upstairs would encourage the kids to stay in their rooms.

"Where's our fine new friend?" she asked. She hadn't seen Jude come in at all.

Lena smiled at her wife's endearing nickname for the boy. "He went to join his sister in the backyard."

"Wait—what? How'd she do that?" Last she checked, Callie had been on the couch. Peering out the kitchen window, she caught sight of them by the big maple. "I don't know how she got out without me noticing!" She would have to keep a closer eye on that kid. Her heart sank, realizing Callie had gone out the front door and around the house rather than going straight through the kitchen where everyone else was.

"We'll remind her to use the back door," Lena said, guessing what had happened. She was sympathetic to her wife's shock, and more so because of her feeling that Callie, once settled, would be giving Stef a run for her money.

She paused as she remembered the question she'd left unanswered. "The store was good. Really good. We talked about what him and Callie used to do for meals and, well...we'll talk about that later," she said quickly, hearing feet making their way downstairs. A few seconds later, Jesus appeared asking to watch TV in their room and they readily agreed.

"Lena Adams _Foster_, _what _is _that_?" Stef said, incredulous when she looked out the window again and saw a plastic container between Callie and Jude. She laughed at the guilty expression on her wife's face. "A muffin?"

"A red velvet cupcake, actually."

"You? And a _cupcake_? _Before_ dinner? Who are you and what have you done to my partner?" the cop scolded in mock annoyance. Lena giving in to the sugar-laden junk she was always on her case about was hilarious. Jude had Lena wrapped around his finger.

"You didn't see how excited he was—he really wanted something from the bakery. I did make him wait and asked him to pick one thing," Lena defended, smiling as she recalled the way he'd lit up over something so simple. Judging by how close the siblings were, she had assumed the treat would be shared. "He was so polite about it...he didn't take it for granted."

"I bet he didn't." Stef gathered her wife into her arms, craving their closeness. They'd been so busy ever since their new additions came that they'd barely had any time for each other. Once the kids were asleep they collapsed into bed in exhaustion only to be woken up a few hours later. Still, she wouldn't have it any other way. She loved this life that she and the love of her life were building.

"I wanted to give in to let him know he could ask."

"It's very important that Jude learn that," Stef said supportively. The boy had already started to ease up around them. He was still a quiet child but it was progress from the first few days when he hardly said a word.

She sighed, wishing she could say the same for his sister. Callie didn't really talk unless spoken to and would actively avoid them. She read and slept, and occupied herself with the coloured pencils and a sketchbook they'd given her. Simple tasks like getting her up, fed, and showered seemed to take so much out of her.

Stef drew in a breath when the inevitable question came up of how things at home had gone with Callie. "Oh...you know…it was okay. She did her homework no problem then went off to do her own thing." She trailed off, filtering out what she wanted to share. "She said she liked Anchor Beach better than the one they were just at. And that the gradual entry thing was nice but she didn't need it." Stef laughed; Callie's attendance records were spotty and she hadn't expected a statement like that from the girl. "That was about the extent of it."

Lena gave her wife a knowing smile, understanding the impatience to establish a relationship with Callie. That was about how far she'd gotten with Callie the other day, too. But as much as they wanted more, they were right where they should be. "It's going to take some time to adjust." No one could be expected to move seamlessly into an entirely new living situation with new people and a new school, with health appointments and group therapy and PO meetings to boot. It was a lot even for her and Stef to keep track of. And while they hoped Callie and Jude would eventually trust them, it wasn't something that would happen overnight. "Did Callie have a snack when she got home?"

"She did. She was pretty hungry, that one." She had served up cucumbers with dip and sausage, and Callie had had a solid portion. "Actually, she said she had a headache and that her stomach was wavy. It sounded a bit like her blood sugar was crashing."

"Oh no, poor thing. Is she feeling better now?" Lena asked. Callie would have had to feel pretty miserable to mention it. Coupled with Jude's comments at the store, this only solidified her concerns. Callie seemed to be nauseous whether she ate something or not.

Her wife gave her a guilty look. Stef had intended on checking in with Callie after the snack but then had gotten tied up with dinner and with having to repeatedly redirect Jesus. "I forgot to ask. I will when she gets in."

Lena nodded. They'd have to keep an eye on things like that. "I think she missed her brother. Have you noticed how much they adore each other?" The two were extremely close and it was easy to see why. Callie had a patient and soft side that only came out with Jude.

Stef did a double take, the scene in the backyard catching her eye: a spark, and Jude with a rectangular object in his eight-year-old hands. "Did you know he had that?"

"_No_. I certainly didn't," Lena said with disbelief, her attention also captured by the lighter.

The cop groaned. When they had learned about the number of homes the kids had been through and that Callie had spent time in juvenile detention, she had anticipated dealing with habits they hadn't encountered with the twins. Jesus and Mariana had only been four when they came to live with them; old enough to be affected by early life experiences but young enough to be spared the details and be malleable. She and Lena had had the chance to raise them in a stable household. In contrast, Callie and Jude had been raised in the system by a patchwork of caregivers, exposed to the chaos of several environments. "That's it. I'm doing room checks tonight," she declared.

Lena scoffed at her wife's melodrama. "First of all, this is not a group home. Secondly, you're going to need a lot of luck on your side if you think Miss Callie is going to comply with handing over her stuff for you to rifle through. It may work with Jude but not her." The older child was also quiet and compliant, but she had a feeling it was because she hadn't been pushed around.

"This is a safety issue!" Stef argued haughtily, baffled by the lack of support. "Seriously. There's no reason anyone should have a lighter in their possession. Not unless they smoke." Children and anything that involved fire always made her nervous. She cringed, anxious as Jude fumbled with the mechanism. "Plus, our house, our rules."

Amused, Lena rolled her eyes. A preteen had landed in their care and neither of them were quite prepared for it. On top of that, there were a number of issues: trauma from the loss of both parents at an early age, a pattern of repeated apprehensions from previous placements, separation from the sibling unit, and possible neglect. She and Stef had their hands completely full.

"What?" Stef demanded when Lena shushed her and pointed out back. They watched as Jude struggled with the lighter before Callie extended a hand. He grabbed it away at first before giving in, then played with the dessert. A realization struck Stef as adept fingers flicked the mechanism successfully on the first go: Callie _smoked_.

She softened when she saw it was a candle Jude had been trying to light. "That's cute…" she conceded.

"He is very sweet boy," Lena whispered, squeezing her wife's arm as Jude goofily swayed on crossed legs. Callie, who had barely cracked a smile for them, was grinning from ear to ear. The arrangement was only temporary but she was falling for these kids. Hard_._

It was when Callie closed her eyes and blew out the candle that it occurred to her that Jude had sang her _Happy Birthday. _Her own smile disappeared. "What's the date today?" she asked frantically.

Stef, who had also arrived at the same conclusion, fumbled with her phone. She couldn't recall off the top of her head but Callie's birthday was mid-month. "Her birthday isn't until the seventeenth," she said, reading it off the notes she'd taken as she reviewed the children's files. There was so much documentation there that she and Lena had been doing it piecemeal, taking down important info and dates to enter on their calendar later. She knew the date had already passed before being able to confirm.

"No—no, _no_, _no_! _Dang it_!" The seventeenth was two days ago. "How did we forget?!" She was appalled at their oversight; birthdays were a huge undertaking in their home and they never missed them. Until this one.

In hindsight, it was easy to see how it had happened. In the mad rush of getting everything together for their license to be approved for the emergency placement, last minute home visits, and several other tasks, actually doing something with the information had been relegated to the back burner. Feeling a tension headache coming on, Stef pinched the bridge of her nose. "I feel like the worst parent in the world," she breathed as initial shock wore off into dismay. Not that any child deserved to have their birthday forgotten but Callie was the last kid who needed her big day go unnoticed after everything she had been through. To say she was gutted that they had been responsible for this was an understatement.

"You and me both," Lena said sadly. "But you're not, Stef. We're not. We've just been so swamped. I should have checked." It was hard not to beat herself up. Usually they were more organized with these details; Bill had mentioned they would have another teenager on their hands soon and she had known Callie's birthday fell in the middle of the month. She hadn't expected it to creep up on them the way it had, though. Days were melding together.

She was baffled that neither of the siblings had let it slip. She remembered how excited she had been at the cusp of turning thirteen. "I can't believe neither of them said anything. Thirteen is a big deal."

"Are you honestly surprised?" Stef hadn't meant to come across as snippy as she had but this event summed up her frustration with DSS over the number of placements Callie and Jude had been in. Repeated removals were harmful, period. It robbed kids of their ability to form attachments with their caregivers and make friendships at school, or make any progress with their goals if they had some they were working on. Without continuity in parenting and care, they were more likely to fall through the cracks. It certainly made her sad that the kids had assumed a birthday wasn't important or even worth mentioning, but she could easily see how they had drawn that conclusion.

On top of that, things for Callie were far from 'regular'. She was still adjusting after being at the state juvenile correctional facility for the better part of a year. For youth in their prime developmental years, incarceration came as a significant blow to their socialization and changed the course of their lives. No one was there to nurture their growth, teach or comfort them—and there certainly weren't any birthday parties. Juvie taught kids they didn't matter. And corrections offered very little programming to support rehabilitation and skills training to prepare youth for life after their release.

Callie was a prime example of how the justice system set kids up to fail during that transition, putting them at high risk to reoffend. Records showed that after Callie had completed her sentence and was moved to the same home Jude was in, the arrangement had fallen apart within a month. In thirty-one days, she ran away twice. Their foster parents described her as troubled and hostile, citing tantrums that were destructive. She didn't bond with them and had a complete disregard for their rules, with attempts to discipline leaving her unphased. Her presence had instantly disrupted the relationship they'd formed with Jude. Initially, they'd planned on keeping him but once he started acting out, a transfer was immediately requested. When Stef had read that, she gathered that it'd been difficult for Callie to suddenly be in an environment that lacked the structure she'd become used to in juvie. The family had essentially expected Callie to return to life as usual without any hiccups. The problem was, of course, that things were anything but usual. Adjusting took far longer than the thirty-one days it'd taken for the family to come to that decision.

"No, I'm not," Lena acknowledged. "You're right. Birthdays are probably one of the last things on their minds." The thought made her incredibly sad.

_What had Callie gone through that clouded the importance and excitement of turning thirteen? Worse, what type of foster parents had they had that convinced Callie and Jude that little or no significance would be assigned to their milestones? ...The kind who also didn't bother making sure their foster kids had enough to eat_, obviously.

Noticing Lena fighting to maintain her composure, Stef gathered her wife's hands in hers. "Love, _hey_...what's the matter?"

Tears blooming, Lena recounted everything Jude had told her about the lunches he was used to eating and being left on his own to sort out dinner while Callie had been in juvie. The matter-of-fact disclosure of his sister joining noon hour clubs with lunch provided. "Stef…he said…" Overwhelmed, Lena stopped to collect herself. "He said that sometimes if he got too hungry, it hurt," she finally managed, grateful to be in her wife's arms. They'd been running on adrenaline for six days now. Exhausted and in shock over what she had learned about the kids so far, she could feel herself heading for a crash.

"They _need_ a family, Stef," she said, her voice breaking.

Unsure of what to say, Stef remained silent. She felt like she should've been more perturbed at the revelation from the eight-year-old but wasn't. Over the course of her career, she'd seen her fair share of cases involving childhood abuse and neglect. And all the warning signs had been present from day one: their skittishness, small frames, and reluctance to get too close or make eye contact. The passing of time had only confirmed her fears. Both kids had recurrent nightmares—nearly every night they'd been here. Hygiene was extremely poor, as if no one had shown them how to clean themselves...yet, Callie was highly independent for her age. And, as she and Lena were learning, both had unhealthy habits around food.

It wasn't questionable parenting. Rather, it was how years of mistreatment manifested in children.

Lena pulled back from her, needing to know exactly where Stef stood on this. "You agree...right?"

"I agree Callie and Jude need a family, yes." Her wife's tears broke her heart. But they'd talked about this already—how they couldn't get too attached to the idea of adoption so early on. "That doesn't mean that our family is the one that's right for them, though."

They wanted to add to their brood, truly they did. Their journey as parents wasn't over. That being said, they hadn't planned on two more and weren't sure if they could handle two more. Before petitioning for adoption, they had to make sure they'd be able to give the siblings all of the love and attention they deserved. Their household budget would have to be adequate in supporting all seven of them. And not only in terms of meeting their immediate and basic needs but also what they required long term. College funds, for one.

And the most important consideration? Callie and Jude would have to _want_ to live with them. They were old enough that they had a say in this.

Even if it was yeses across the board, that decision would still be left to the judge. With all the moving pieces that needed to fall into place, she wasn't about to start making any promises. But yes. She also felt the pressure to have this arrangement work out. Callie and Jude had already been moved around so much that she wanted nothing more than for their home to be their last.

"…_honey_," she soothed as more tears flowed. "We can't save them all. You know that."

Lena didn't know whether to laugh or scoff at the sympathetic tone as she wiped her eyes. She had heard exactly the same line from Stef for weeks as they slogged through their foster license renewal and the home study. Her wife had insisted on applying for one child, filled with reasons for why six would make a nice well-rounded number for a family. But as soon as Bill mentioned eight- and twelve-year-old siblings, Stef had changed her tune a_nd _updated the paperwork without any hesitation—or input from her.

She was looking for confirmation that they would try to adopt Callie and Jude, but wasn't going to get one today. Stef was pragmatic to a fault. She never got her hopes up. If she did, she never let onto it—never admitted to things working out favourably until their i's were dotted and t's crossed. Stef would be unwilling to discuss adoption until she was certain their petition would be backed by DSS and the court.

And Lena was okay with that, because she knew it would only be a matter of time.


	3. Chapter 3

_Chapter 3_

Stef knocked softly on the door of the upstairs hallway bathroom. "_Jude_?" she called.

**_"WHO IS IT?"_**

The fearful, panicked response left the cop baffled. Careful not to startle him, she had only raised her voice enough to be heard over the shower. "Darling, it's me, Stef. Is it alright if I come in for a sec? I've got some fresh towels with me." She had discovered Jude's damp towel, balled up and slightly mildewed, upon going into the den to collect his laundry. Luckily, there were some in the dryer that were still warm, which she thought he might like.

The eight-year-old hopped down from the counter where he was sitting. "OKAY! JUST A MINUTE!"

Stef frowned when bare soles slapped across the tile and began squeaking against the tub. It wasn't the first time she'd wondered if he truly showered when he was supposed to or just hung out in the bathroom with the water running. On a few occasions, he had been oddly dry coming out from his shower, and when she'd gone in to wipe up, the bar of Ivory was untouched.

Once she received the okay to enter, she went in and hung the towels on the rack. "There's two here. One for your body and the smaller one for your face." She bit her lip, deliberating if she should say something about not being able to hear him washing. The spray of water was static, proof that he was just standing there rather than working to get clean. It was somewhat of a problem that their eight-year-old wasn't bathing properly and she added that to her mental list of things they'd have to support him with. Callie, too, didn't seem to be faring much better.

His shrill thank you drifting from the other side of the curtain pulled her out of her thoughts—and endeared himself to her in the process. _He was so polite. _

"You're welcome, bud. Want me to hand you your things?" she asked, noticing his loofah and washcloth on the counter.

"No, thank you." Inside, Jude poked at a grippy tub sticker with his toe. He was standing at the far end so water wouldn't pummel his face and hair, but it still hurt his skin and was too loud. He wanted her to leave so he could get out.

Immediately, Stef regretted not giving more of a directive. She would let it go this time. "Okay...don't forget to wash your whole body! That means soap behind your ears, neck, and armpits. Behind your knees, and bum too." Deciding to cue him anyway, even though she worried about coming across as intrusive.

"Okay!" he replied cheerfully.

"Okay…" Stef echoed, wary about leaving. His assurance did little to evoke any confidence in her and she wished she could assist him in doing a thorough job so he could be more comfortable. But they weren't there yet, in terms of trust. "Ma—_Lena_ and I will be downstairs. We can give you a hand when you're done."

It was hard not to refer to themselves as Mom and Mama. They'd made it clear that Callie and Jude could call them whatever they were comfortable with, irrespective of what their other children called them. First names were fair game.

"Yes ma'am," Jude replied.

Stef cringed at being called something that made her sound ancient. Resigned that she needed to allow Jude to finish up on his own, she picked up his laundry and reminded him they'd see him soon.

In the hallway, she checked his sweatpants for the lighter. She wasn't sure Jude would still have it after handing it to Callie...but given how protective he had seemed, she thought there was a chance he would have begged to hold onto it.

Fingers closing around what she was looking for, she slipped it into her pocket. She didn't feel great about the breach of privacy, but there was no reason for either of them to have something like that in their possession. It was one of two things she and Lena would be talking to Jude about shortly. The other, of course, was Callie's birthday.

* * *

The women were in the middle of straightening the sleeping bag on the fold out cot when Jude came in, towel wrapped haphazardly around his midsection and teeth chattering.

Realizing he was only in his underwear, Lena hurried to grab the pyjamas she had laid out. The thermostat had just kicked on so it'd be awhile before the den warmed up. "Here. May I?" she asked, asking for permission to take the towel. Permission granted, she quickly rubbed his upper body dry before wrapping the terry cloth around his waist and slipping the top over his head.

Jude smiled widely as warmth hugged him. "That feels good and smells nice." Like his towel, his shirt had just come from the dryer. He could tell because it was extra soft.

"I bet it does feel nice and toasty," Lena agreed, kneeling to help him step into his bottoms. She had waited until the very last minute to take them out, hoping the coziness would get him drowsy for the night.

"Was there enough hot water left?"

"Mhm, lots!" Jude liked that his new foster moms were nice and cared if his shower was warm enough. They didn't even put laundry on or run the dishwasher until everyone had had their turn so no one would be stuck with cold water.

"Great! Guess we figured out a good system!"

Both women were surprised when the child handed her the towel again and bowed at the waist, allowing her to dry his hair. A measure of trust neither had expected.

Perching on the edge of the cot, Lena got to work. Right away, she noticed that his hair hadn't been thoroughly washed. On the surface it appeared wet, but upon closer inspection, water droplets were beading onto the surface. Dealing with the oiliness would require more than a rinse but a good shampoo, conditioner, and combing. Lifting the top section revealed hair that was dry and a very irritated-looking scalp.

He needed assistance. Badly.

While Jude was upstairs, she and Stef had discussed their concerns over his hygiene and ways they could ensure shower steps were being completed. Between them, they agreed the situation was one where needs dictated more overt invasions of privacy, akin to their presence at doctor's visits. They weren't sure if he would be amenable to it, though.

Stef, wanting to soak up every second of their interaction, came to sit by them. Her wife took the opportunity to part a section of hair so she could take a look; one glance at the dandruff and yellow crusting she was being shown had her wincing. "Hey, bud? Your head ever get itchy?" she asked casually.

Not sure why his foster mother was bringing that up, it was a while before Jude responded. "Sometimes a little."

"Okay. I was asking because your scalp is a bit dry," Stef said, making out scabs that were presumably from scratching. Hopefully it wasn't lice but even if it was they already had the medicated shampoo. "I think we better work on getting a really good hair wash in—get your skin healthy so it's more comfortable for you."

Lena gathered Jude's hands in her own when he peered at her nervously. "It will feel a lot better, I promise, honey," she reiterated, knowing he needed reassurance. He was still reserved around Stef, and quite possibly afraid of her.

To their surprise and relief, the boy relented.

Watching Jude sweep hair out of his eyes, Stef had another idea. "It might also help to trim your hair. It's getting pretty long. Let me know if that's something you'd like," she offered. She was pretty efficient at doing B and Jesus' cuts with the clippers and it wouldn't take much longer to do Jude's as well.

Jude shrank at her suggestion. It'd been awhile since his last one but they were always unpleasant enough that he didn't want them to happen. A few times, he'd been nicked by scissors. "No…no, thank you...thank you anyway," he politely declined. He was hoping that wouldn't make them mad before it hit him that he'd assumed he even had a choice. "But you can if you want to!"

The women exchanged a concerned expression over the sudden contrast between the two responses. With Jude's obvious discomfort with the idea, they had no intention of pushing him into it.

"We'd never make you do something with your hair you didn't want to. Never ever," Stef affirmed. "It's your body and you have a lot of choice and control over what you'd like to do and what happens. The main thing you need to do is show us you're able to take care of it."

Lena jumped in, grateful for the teachable moment. "That means washing and combing regularly to keep tangles under control. Using conditioner." He hung his head at the expectant look she gave him—well aware he wasn't meeting that criteria. "We can find shampoo you like, and can give you a hand," she suggested, brushing his hair back. "Sound fair?"

"Fair," Jude readily agreed, his interest piqued by the idea of choosing shampoo scents.

Remembering why they'd wanted to speak with him in the first place, Stef tapped him on the arm to get his focus. "You know what? Before I forget, I took something of yours when I picked up your laundry." She held the lighter up, owning up to its confiscation fairly quickly since nothing about it was up for debate. "We're not sure how you ended up with this but we're not comfortable with any of our kids having one so it'll stay with us for safekeeping. Alright? You can ask for it if and when you need it and we can talk about for what and why," she said, giving the illusion of choice where there was none. "I didn't want you to go looking for it and worry when you couldn't find it."

She had expected excuses, but not for her foster son to go ashen.

"Jude? Hey..._hey_…" she said, keeping her voice soft. He was visibly afraid and had his hands wrung together, gaze flicking between her and Lena.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to break the rules," Jude said regretfully. A chill went down his spine as he figured he'd be punished and he braced himself. At the last house, whenever he did something wrong they'd make him choose between the spoon or a belt to get a spanking with, and both hurt equally badly. Instinctively, he took a step back from the women, tripping over his feet in the process.

Acting fast, Lena grabbed him before he fell. "It's not a big deal. You didn't know," Stef reassured. Sure they'd been shocked to say the least and weren't fond of what he and his sister had in their possession but they hadn't been too upset. Either no one before them had found out—or if they had, hadn't bothered to do anything about it. What was important was the kids no longer had it.

The mothers shared another worried look with each other; Jude was near tears, convinced he was in more trouble than he actually was.

The words had little effect on Jude's distress. He did know kids weren't supposed to have lighters. The whole reason Callie had one was because she smoked. She thought he had no idea but he'd seen her. As for him, he just liked carrying one because it made him feel kinda big. That was what Callie always said when he asked to hold onto it.

"Listen to me. You're fine. You're not in any trouble," Stef said, shaking her head for emphasis. Guessing that facing both of them was exacerbating Jude's anxiety, she patted the space beside her on the cot before getting up and out of the way. He'd warmed up to Lena more than he had with her and she wanted them to sit together, thinking that might put him at ease. Trying to show she wasn't a threat, Stef sat on the floor across from them so she could still be present. Still, she saw him stiffen as she went by him.

Grateful when Jude sidled up next to her, Lena wrapped an arm around him. He was still cautious around them but spending time together had already made a difference. "We know you weren't playing with fire."

Stef nodded as she settled cross legged on the carpet. "You did a kind thing for Callie today. A very kind thing. She's lucky to have such a thoughtful little brother like you." She chuckled when he stared at her, mouth agape, before they explained that they'd spotted him and his sister from the kitchen.

Noticing how uncertain the boy seemed, Lena offered the stuffed dog they had bought for him. Jude hugged it tight. "I wish you had told us about Callie's birthday. I would have made a cake, or arranged to have one ready at the store so we could have celebrated together."

"I didn't want to bother you… you're busy," Jude replied matter of factly. "It's always just us anyway."

"You wouldn't have bothered us at all. Everyone's birthday is special. It's important we recognize and share each other's big days." A lump formed in her throat at the reminder of the milestone she and Stef had missed.

Beginning to feel awkward, Jude dropped his gaze. Lena didn't sound mad or even annoyed but she did look sad. "It's not a big deal." He chewed on his inner cheek, afraid he was messing everything up. Callie had told him not to be high maintenance so there'd be a better chance that Stef and Lena would want him.

"It is a big deal, bud! This one especially! Your sister turned thirteen! She's officially a teenager!" Stef butted in, smiling as Jude brightened at her excitement.

His assumption that he would've bothered them made her sad, but what got to her the most was imagining how Callie might have felt when her birthday came and went without a single acknowledgement from them. She couldn't decide what was worse: Callie feeling let down because she had hope someone other than Jude would notice, only to be disappointed again, or resigned to the fact because she was used to birthdays going unacknowledged.

"Did you and Callie have many birthday parties growing up?" The bulk of Jude's childhood had been in foster care. He had only been a preschooler when he and Callie had entered the system and wouldn't have many memories before then. It was an indignation that the question even needed asking. But the sad reality was that nothing could be assumed when it came to foster care.

"Our Mom did…" Jude whispered. He'd been too little to remember, but he remembered photos and luckily, Callie was always good about telling him about them. Comforted by the toy in his lap, he stroked the dog's floppy ear. "Then after, it was just me and Callie," he continued, his tone giving the impression this was normal. Slightly more comfortable, he was willing to talk. "Except when she was in juvie. But me and Bill got her a card and they did one for me, too. And we got to visit." That was all that had mattered to him, seeing her and knowing she was still there. "Foster parents have enough to do with their real kids."

Stef frowned at his observation. "Being fostered doesn't make you or Callie any less than kids who aren't. Not in this home." She was appalled that they had implied as much by losing track of Callie's birthday.

"Do you think you might be able to let Stef or I know if anything happens that makes you feel that way? Like you're less important than Jesus or Mariana or Brandon?" Lena asked. It was a big ask, one that she wasn't sure he would take her up on, but would put out there anyway. The boy shrugged, giving the impression he didn't quite believe what they were telling him.

Leaning forward, Stef stuck out her hand. "Shake on it?" She feigned not noticing when he jumped at the unexpected motion, expecting to be hit. Deciding there was no threat, he mumbled an apology and reciprocated.

"Now, how should we make this up to Callie?" Lena asked, shifting so she could face him. She hadn't missed his reaction but her intention was to move him away from his discomfort to end their interaction on a positive note. "Think she'll be alright with cake and a present?" If it were their other kids they wouldn't have to ask but it was different with Callie and Jude. The last thing they wanted was to make Callie uncomfortable. "Would she like that?"

"She likes cake but I dunno 'bout a present," Jude said cautiously.

"_Nonsense_! Everyone deserves something for their birthday!" Stef insisted before regretting her words. That didn't speak to Callie and Jude's experiences of not being treated like 'everyone.' They didn't need to be reminded of it.

Jude shook his head, figuring out how to explain. "No, but...we can't bring stuff with us when we go." Most of it stayed behind.

Realizing their foster son was already preparing to leave them and the logistics around that, Stef fell silent as tears pricked her eyes.

"They make you throw it away," Jude continued. "And if you don't, they wait til you're at school to do it and then you don't get a say." He was all too familiar with foster parents going through their belongings and garbage, and paying for it when they found things they didn't like. A snack wrapper. A drawing. A note.

"Did that happen often?" Stef questioned. Perhaps wondering if he should be talking to her, he regarded her dubiously before bobbing his head once.

Throat like cotton, she smiled tightly at Lena. Her wife looked just as crushed as she was by what he'd shared. They were aware of the limits in how much kids were allowed to bring with them to a placement—usually one backpack and a garbage bag—but they couldn't fathom making children discard their things.

"Listen to me. Something like that would never happen here. _Ever_." She pulled the lighter out from her pocket again to illustrate her point. "There might be times when Lena and I go looking for something but there will always be a reason for it _and_ we will tell you about it."

"Okay."

"So, is it okay with you for Lena and I to get your sister something? It won't be very big so she can bring it with her if she had to move." She felt terrible for even suggesting the possibility. Despite Jude not having his full trust in them, he had some. That he was confiding in them was hopeful and she didn't want to blow it.

"Yes," Jude said, thinking it over. He had a feeling things could be different here.

Stef winked at him. "Wonderful! We'll need your input, of course." Thankfully, Callie's actual birthday had only been two days ago. Not ideal by any means but hopefully forgivable. "What's Callie's favourite type of cake? Vanilla?"

Scandalized, he looked to Lena. She knew because she was there when he picked the cupcake. "_Chocolate_," he whispered to her and her only.

"_Ohh…_ And what about ice cream?" Stef asked, feigning cluelessness.

This time, he made eye contact with her. "Everything!"

"Everything as in any flavour? Or like Neapolitan everything?"

"Everything everything!" He beamed at her, sending her heart into flutter. More and more Stef found herself imagining what it would be like to have him and Callie as their own. Being all under one roof, she did consider them her own...but the idea of permanence had been tugging at her heart since Lena had brought it up that afternoon. All the more so because she already felt so connected to the boy.

"What do you think? Chocolate ice cream cake?" she said, turning to Lena.

Jude squealed his glee as they hushed him. "**Shh**! It's going to be a surprise and your sister is in the living room," Lena reminded, amused at his giddiness and grateful for the resilience at his age.

"It's gonna be a surprise," Jude repeated seriously. _Callie was gonna be so surprised_!

The plans quickly came together. It was established the party would take place the next day. That would give them enough time to get the rest of the kids involved and her gift sorted. By Jude's account, Callie liked drawing and reading, basketball, and hip hop music. Her favorite colours were dark purple and navy blue, and she liked eating Cheez Whiz, Nutella, and Dunk-a-Roos. There would be some running around but it'd be fairly straightforward. Once satisfied they had enough to go on, they tucked him in with reminders of where the downstairs bathroom was. That they'd leave the hallway light on as a nightlight for him and Callie. That he needed to try and stay in his bed, they'd check on him soon, and were just up the stairs if he needed them for anything.

As they were about to leave, he sat bolt upright. Lena was part way through asking what was wrong when he beat her to it. "Thank you for being nice to me and my sister."

Proud of him for initiating conversation, Stef extended her hand a second time. Jude reached out without a second thought. "Thanks for all your help, mister," she said, revelling at the first signs of trust and rapport that had been established. She gave him a kind smile as Lena got him to lie back down and fixed his blanket, pulling it up to his chin. Tucked in with the dog right beside him on the pillow, he looked so small, and she caught herself pulling from her memory of eight-year-old Jesus—wondering if he had also been this tiny—and if so, in awe of how much growing her ten-year-old boy had done since then.

"I'm good because I help," Jude said proudly.

Patting his chest through the layers of warmth Stef chuckled. "No. You're good because you're good," she affirmed. "You're _all _good."

She had a feeling he needed to hear it. Callie probably too.

"Now. To sleep with you."

Sleep, because she and Lena had a lot to do.

* * *

Lena handed the iPad to her wife, who was sitting next to her in bed. "What about this one?"

They had several tasks to accomplish if they were going to throw a party the next evening, one of that being Callie's present, and had gotten straight to work. It meant a later night than usual but they didn't mind. Turning thirteen _was _a rite of passage, and Callie deserved to have people cheering her on as she entered this new stage in her life.

Birthday traditions were held in high regard in their family. Whoever was turning a year older got to set the menu for dinner, and there was cake followed by cards and presents. As much as they wanted to surprise Callie together with all the other kids, things would have to be toned down to avoid overwhelming her. In the end, they decided to give her her present in private. The kids could handle the card at dinner.

Stef scanned the description on the book Lena had found. _The Care and Keeping of You 2: The Body Book for Older Girls. _"Is this the sequel to the one we got for Mariana? You're thinking this to go in the bag?" The present itself was proving to require some coordination. They had decided on a new backpack, filling it with items Callie might like and necessities for a teenage girl mixed in. But with the bag being of finite size, it was difficult deciding what would make it in.

"Well. One of them," Lena said. "It's small, and would go well with some of the other things."

"I don't know, babe...I'm not sure about making gifts out of what we should be getting her whether or not it's her birthday." She thought of the shampoo, deodorant, and the feminine hygiene products they'd discussed—and how _not_ excited she would've been to receive those as gifts. "We need more that's exciting for her and less, _happy-birthday-here's-a-reminder-your-body-is-going-to-change-and-things-will-get-incredibly-awkward_."

"I agree but she does need those other things as well," Lena pointed out. It was difficult to reconcile between wants and necessities, while also being mindful of picking stuff that was easy to transport or consumable so that wouldn't be an issue. "Maybe we can think of this more like a comfort kit? Books...a small stuffed animal...notebook...her own basketball? Lip balm and nail polish? A t-shirt?" Lena trailed off; it was hard to put together a gift for someone they didn't know very well, even with ideas.

Stef quirked an eyebrow. "Callie does not seem to be the type to do anything with her nails. That would make this more of a present for Mariana, don't you think?" Callie was tomboyish, and seemed less preoccupied with her appearance. "A basketball would be a sweet idea but we've got a bunch already between B and Zeus, and it's too big for her backpack. But the tee is a good idea; everyone likes those. And she might appreciate a stuffed animal and notebook."

"Fine. I'd like her to have the same bodywash set we got for Mariana, though," Lena countered. It was an all-in-one that she hoped would make the bath routine easier for Callie.

Stef nodded. The 3-in-1 soap has been a hit with their younger daughter. "Yeah, I think we will need to throw in some personal care stuff," she conceded, realizing they didn't even know if Callie had started her period yet. She looked like a late bloomer, especially considering the malnutrition. "Perhaps the Care and Keeping book is a good idea, after all."

Pausing to think. "I'd love for her to have a copy of The Hunger Games or Narnia or something like that. She reads a lot. I swear that kid has gone through at least three books since she got here. Maybe throw in some snacks? Granola bars. And a gift card to the movies or the Golden Arches—_ohhh_! Cheez Whiz!" she exclaimed, remembering their conversation with Jude.

"No Cheez Whiz."

"Aww, c'mon!" Stef pleaded, flashing doe eyes. "Oh, _fiiine_," she acquiesced when her wife shot her a look that dared her to ask one more time. Lena was not going to budge.

Lena rolled her eyes in amusement. Stef had a tendency to take things too far with presents. "Do you have a budget in mind? The backpack is $28. Add in another $20-30 for the books. Then the rest of it?"

"_Budget_?!" Stef protested, incredulous. "_Budget sh'mudget. _This kid just had her big birthday missed because of us! Everything else is mostly groceries, or out of the personal care budget." Seeing how unimpressed Lena was she clarified that the t-shirts were out of the kids' clothing fund. "The only things that are really gifts are the books and the backpack. And those are educational," she concluded.

Her rationale for overspending—as well as how pleased her wife looked with herself—left Lena cracking up. Stef was out of control. Despite her pragmatism towards adopting them, Stef was getting attached to these kids. She could already predict what their dynamic would be like, with Callie and Jude worming their way into Stef's heart whether or not Stef would admit to it. "One tee, and if you're going to go with the gift card, no snacks," Lena said, dissolving into laughter as her wife's face fell.

"But Lena..._Lena_…". Her wife would have none of it.

"Babe."

"Party pooper," Stef pouted. "Fine, no gift card." It would be more fun to stuff Callie's bag with a variety of snacks anyways.

"Just trying to be clear." Stef was already fiddling on the iPad to confirm the books were in stock. "Keep in mind what Jude said: nothing too large and not a lot because they won't be able to take it with them when they move. That's why we were thinking consumables in the first place." She didn't want Callie to be in that position again.

"_Stef_?" she repeated when her wife stared intensely at the screen without a word. "I'm serious. I don't want Callie having to choose between what can be kept and what needs to be left behind." Concerned when no response came, she went to tap her wife on the arm when she noticed eyes glistening and a lower lip tucked firmly in between teeth.

Self-conscious, Stef fought to keep her composure intact.

She failed when a sob escaped as she spoke.

"Well...Lena…who said anything about them moving?"

* * *

**Author Note: **

Thanks for reading and for your encouragement, everyone! It's a bit daunting starting fresh. ~b


	4. Chapter 4

_Chapter 4_

As Callie walked back to their new foster home, Jude safely in tow along with the others, it occurred to her that it was the cleanest place they'd ever been at. In fact, this was probably the nicest neighbourhood they'd lived in, with the swankiest of schools to boot.

She had thought for sure she wouldn't get in after the placement exam. It'd been that hard. But by some miracle she had and Jude had too, and now they were at a school on a beach. One she fully planned on exploring during the day when there were no crowds so she could enjoy it.

Lost in thought, she didn't realize they had arrived until they were crowded around the front door. Remembering that as the oldest two she and Brandon were keyholders, she shoved her hands in her pockets for her copy. It was another privilege she didn't take for granted. While it was nice they didn't have to wait around to be let in, getting a key wasn't always a good thing either. In the past, unlimited freedom to come and go had meant she and Jude being left to fend for themselves. Although, depending on who their foster parents had been, that reprieve was welcome.

Callie liked that they sometimes walked together to and from campus so she could check out her new stomping grounds. Mostly, they would get a ride with Lena because she worked there. Today, however, her foster mom had to stay for a late meeting. They were to go straight home and start on their homework right away.

Too slow, Brandon beat her to it and unlocked the door. The last one in, she kicked off her sneakers and put them into the hallway closet before locking up.

"What?" she said when she turned around and saw Brandon and Mariana gaping at her.

"You don't have to do that. Mom's gonna be home soon," the younger girl said.

Callie rolled her eyes at the hand on Mariana's hip; she looked just about as obnoxious as she sounded. "Didn't your Mama teach you about home invasions and petty crime? She's a _cop_," she enunciated, itching to tell her off even more when the girl scoffed. All those years of living the good life had obviously gotten to her head.

"First of all, that's **_Mom_**. Secondly, we live in Pacific _Beach_," Mariana shot back. "If you haven't noticed, stuff like that doesn't happen around here. Maybe where **_you _**came from..."

"Yeah, well it doesn't mean stuff like _that_ can't," Callie said, engaging the deadbolt the whole way until it clicked. She was responsible and would look out for them whether they appreciated it or not. She wasn't going to let anyone get hurt because of some naive stuck up kids who didn't have safety awareness.

Noticing the younger girl's shoes strewn in front of the closet, she picked them up and tossed them in the closet. "You're welcome." She could've sworn she was going to smack someone when Mariana rolled her eyes and Brandon started snickering.

Sensing the tension between them, Jesús piped up to mediate. "It's true. Mom always says to lock the door when we're home alone. Callie's just trying to help, Mari. You don't gotta give her a hard time bout it."

"Whatever. You guys are paranoid," his sister rebuffed before spinning on her heel to walk away.

Callie stared at Jesus. They hadn't spent much time together but so far he had been the nicest to her and Jude. Brandon and Mariana, though polite enough, could be kinda mean. "Thanks," she mumbled.

"No worries. I dunno why she gets like that," he said about his twin, "but you can always tell me and I can talk to her."

"Thanks, but I can hold my own."

Jesus shrugged. "Yeah. But just because you can doesn't mean you should." He grinned at her before they parted ways. "See ya, Callie."

"Later."

In the family room, Callie let out a breath. There was no door but it was quiet and private enough, and she had the couch to herself except for the few hours Jude would come in at night. She cursed when, in the process of slinging off her backpack for her stuff, a seam popped. Just as she was about to check out the newest rip, the bouquet on the coffee table caught her attention. It hadn't been there that morning. Nestled in the flowers was a little card with her name on it, and beside that a paper bag with tissue paper poking out the top. Curiosity getting the best of her, she peered inside and saw the item. The tags were still on, telling her it was brand new. Uncertain about what she was supposed to do, she told herself to leave it alone and grabbed her binder. Lena's instructions had been to start on their work.

In her rush, she nearly barrelled into Stef upon rounding the corner. "Sorry, didn't hear you," she mumbled, sidestepping to get out of the way. She prepared herself for the verbal assault for not being more careful and not watching, but none came.

"That's alright. Nothing to apologize for," Stef assured. Two more bodies around meant more foot traffic to get used to in the house. "Oh, hey. Hey, I was meaning to ask you this morning but forgot. How is your finger doing?" Callie had come to them with staph infections in both her thumb and index fingers that had been left untreated for some time. Draining and drying it out had helped but she and Lena were still trying to check it every day, as long as Callie would allow them to.

"Good."

"We'll take a quick look later, okay?"

"Okay. Later," Callie said as agreeably as she could. A _quick look _meant squeezing and disinfecting with stuff that stung. But although she hated it she didn't know them enough to refuse.

"How was school?" Stef asked, moving on in an attempt to continue their conversation. Anchor Beach had granted both kids a graduated entry; today had been their first full day.

"Okay," Callie replied, fidgeting. She didn't like being stuck in a cramped hallway with the police. Stef's gun and baton and what she assumed was her taser were in her belt, and she felt faint thinking about it.

"Just okay? Didn't you have some new classes?"

The girl nodded. "Math and Science 8."

"Both very important. Though maybe less exciting," Stef sympathized, seeing the girl was less than enthused.

"Thank you for the present," Callie blurted out, still in shock that they'd gotten her one. _With flowers_! While she didn't feel right accepting something from people she didn't know, she wanted to show her appreciation.

"You're very welcome, love. Hope you like it and get good use out of it."

Callie nodded. "I do, it's really pretty. Thank you."

"Lena and I are so sorry we missed your birthday. Is it alright to have a bit of a party? We'd love to, if that would be okay with you."

_Party? _"Uhm. Okay." Feeling awkward, she shifted in place. "What—what do you need me to do?"

"Absolutely nothing. For all intents and purposes, It's your birthday today." Seeing Callie become increasingly uncomfortable, she let her go. "Get started on your homework. Pizza will be here soon."

Callie stared. _Pizza_?

Half an hour flew by. As usual, homework around the kitchen table was noisy and filled with constant fighting over personal space. She hated it. Someone always had her eraser and everyone talked over one another, making it hard to think. When food came, there was a mad rush to clear the table and replace it with plates, cups, and napkins. She understood why once she had that first bite. It was the best she'd ever had, with cherry 7Up and chips and popcorn chicken—none of which she thought Lena allowed. She had eaten more in one sitting than she had in awhile, and she couldn't help but feel proud of herself when she realized Stef and Lena were so happy because of it. Then the cake came with candles and they sang while she sat there awkwardly. Lena kept apologizing it wasn't homemade but Callie hadn't expected one, let alone one that was homemade. A cake was a cake, and she'd rather she had one than none at all. When it was all over, she got up to do her part in clean up but was sent off. In a daze, she went to shower.

When she got back, a card had been left for her on her pillow. At first she had hesitated to open it but was glad when she finally did; inside were birthday messages from everyone, including Jude, filling it from corner to corner. Mind abuzz over what had take place, Callie could barely focus on the rest of her homework.

_She'd actually belonged._

The women weren't surprised to find Callie asleep at the coffee table when they came to tuck her in. All of the activity had worn her out.

"Callieee. Honey," Stef called, trying to rouse her. After Jude's reaction to getting too close the night before, she knew better than to tap her on the arm like she would with the others. When that failed, she and Lena busied themselves picking up, drawing the curtains closed, and making Callie's bed.

The noise eventually brought the girl out of her slumber, and bleary eyes followed them around the room "Get what you needed to get done?" Stef asked. The worksheet Callie had been working only had writing partway down.

"Yup," Callie automatically replied. Unlucky for her, that worksheet was due tomorrow but there was no way her foster mothers would know that. Not wanting them to get nosy, she shut her binder. It'd be no problem to finish it off in the morning. Still used to a 6:00 AM start from when she was in juvie, her body would wake at that time. At many foster homes, they also had to be up and out of there early so they would arrive at school in time for hot breakfast.

"It's alright if you didn't," Lena said as she exchanged a knowing look with Stef. The hasty denial had been telling, but other than making sure it got done, it wasn't too much a concern for them—especially since festivities had cut into the kids' homework time. Homework took precedent on most days, but always came second to time with family.

Callie's gaze flicked up to meet hers. "No, it's finished."

Realizing the girl wasn't going to be forthcoming, Lena went along with it. The day deserved to end on a high note. "Alright. We'll check it off in your agenda first thing tomorrow." She wouldn't belabour the point, but wanted to make it clear they kept tabs on anything that had to do with school and that open communication was valued.

"Sorry we tired you out. But really, you got the condensed version," Stef quipped, winking at Callie. "Birthdays are usually bigger than this if you can believe it, but _someone_ didn't tell us."

Callie gave her a shy smile before looking away. "Sorry…"

"Stef is just teasing, sweetheart. There is absolutely nothing to be sorry about," Lena reassured. "We feel awful for missing your birthday," she said honestly, still struggling with her guilt.

"It's really not a big deal," Callie told her foster mother. Tonight had brought comfort in its familiarity but she couldn't get used to this.

"Honey, of course it's a big deal," Stef affirmed in the same way she had with Jude. She could tell Callie was growing uncomfortable with the direction in which their conversation was heading. "You only turn thirteen once. It's important to celebrate these milestones."

Callie frowned. That stuff stopped being important when her mom died. "Why?" She really had to know why it was important.

"Because...it marks the end of a year and the beginning of a new one," Stef suggested gently. "It's a way to honor all the successes that came with it and all the ways in which you grew, and all to look forward to in the year to come." She was well aware that she was speaking from a position of privilege. "I know you probably didn't always get a party every year," she acknowledged before being suddenly cut off.

"You don't know anything about me," Callie scoffed, bristling at the forwardness with which her foster mother was judging.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say I know what things are like for you," Stef said immediately, trying to de-escalate. She wasn't new to working with youth. In the life skills groups she was sometimes assigned to run at the precinct, she'd learned quickly that an assertion of '_you don't know me_' translated into one that she didn't know what it was like to be in their shoes.

Her attendees were right, of course. She didn't. It was always best for rapport to acknowledge that truth, right off the bat.

As brief as the moment of conflict was, that her foster kid had let her guard down gave her hope for their ability to form a bond. This was the first peek at the embers of Callie's fiery personality that'd been temporarily dampened due to uncertainty over her new surroundings. It'd only be a matter of time before their foster daughter would be comfortable enough to be herself. "I do get the sense that you've lived, Callie. Much more than most thirteen year olds I've met. And that that had to have come at the expense of some of this stuff," she went on, waiting to see how the olive branch would be received. Callie stared at her a little longer this time before breaking eye contact.

Just like that, some understanding and respect had been gained.

"Yeah. Something like that," Callie mumbled, lifting one shoulder in an unenthusiastic shrug. She was slightly annoyed with herself for agreeing with the cop.

Lena held the blanket up so Callie could climb in without shifting the sleeping pad around too much. It was almost lights out. It was then she noticed their present tucked behind one side of the couch, its wrapping untouched. "Oh, sweetheart. You didn't even get to open your present."

Taken by surprise at the regretful tone behind those words, Callie's guilt bubbled. "Mm, I was gonna but then I thought maybe I should save it. 'Cause you know, mine still has lots of life left in it," she explained. To be honest, she was touched that they'd gotten her something and grateful for an item she both needed and wanted. But in her experience, foster parents usually didn't do gifts; when they did, things were often only theirs for as long as they were allowed to stay. Once they had to move on, what had been given needed to be returned. There was no point in getting attached. The other reason Callie wanted to keep the bag in mint condition was purely practical. In the event she'd need money, it'd be easier to sell if it was brand new.

"That sounds like a very responsible idea," Lena agreed, not wanting to push.

"Almost too responsible," Stef piped up.

"_Stef_. It's up to Callie when she wants to open it," Lena established. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted the beginnings of a smile creep across her foster daughter's face—presumably at Stef being told off.

Now it was Stef's turn to frown. She had not spent her breaks running around to fill this bag, only to have its treasures go undiscovered. "But how will you know if you'll like it or if it will even work for you if you don't at least check things out?" she protested. Selfishly, she wanted to see Callie's reaction. "Or what if the day comes you need it but it turns out there aren't enough pockets for all your pens and pencils and calculator. Then what?"

"I don't have a calculator," Callie informed her. "That's dorky."

"You don't have one now, but once you have space for one—believe me, you'll have a calculator in there. And more! Maybe a protractor." Her playful enthusiasm eventually won the girl over and Callie sat up—much to Lena's ire.

"_Stef,_" Lena mouthed, displeased at her wife for undoing her efforts to have Callie get enough sleep. Stef grinned, sheepish but far from apologetic.

"What? It's her birthday."

Callie giggled at their exchange. As intimidating as Stef was, she was acting like a silly kid right now.

Not long after, the present was set on her lap. She wasn't sure she could do this without getting too attached but it was too late to back out. Plus, a part of her very much wanted to open it. Eventually, she pulled out the tissue paper, filled with awe and gratitude when she caught a glimpse of the whole thing.

"Thank you...this is so nice," she gasped. The nylon fabric was the perfect shade of lilac, contrasted by a brown suede base and matching zipper pulls. Unzipping revealed white fabric printed with tiny blue whales. The backpack was heavier than she'd expected and the reason for that made sense when it hit her that the bag was filled. Feeling like she couldn't accept the gift again, she closed it up and tried to explain as much. "I—I—thank you. But I can't take all of this from you, it's a lot."

Lena gave a sympathetic smile. "You're not taking anything from us that we're not choosing to give you. It's yours, honey. Some of it are things you might need and others we hope will make your stay more comfortable." In the end, she and Stef couldn't agree, so some extras had been thrown in last minute.

Callie fiddled with her fingers. "You didn't have to do that. I don't deserve any of this," she said, worried that they'd think she was being ungrateful.

"We didn't have to but we wanted to," Stef replied. She sensed a few things behind the remarks. "And that's not true, sweetheart. Your happiness, as well as having your needs met is important to us. You're very deserving of both." Callie had moved around a lot and that probably meant a great deal of loss.

"Can we look at your gift together?" She was determined to turn this into an opportunity for Callie to have a normal childhood experience, and hopeful that engaging with her over the present would do just that.

Callie obliged her suggestion. Stef looked like she was looking forward to it and she didn't want to let her down.

"Alright!" Stef said excitedly. She made herself comfy on the coffee table as both Lena and Callie looked at her warily. "May I?" she asked before taking the backpack. Laying it flat and unzipping the main compartment again, she took things out one at a time, heart warming at how awestruck her foster daughter was. "Okay, Miss Callie. Here we have some socks...hair ties...a t-shirt...and a new comb."

"I know you already have a brush, but a comb might be better for those beautiful waves," Lena said. She had previously found Callie struggling to pull the hairbrush through tangles before giving up. Her offer to assist had been declined, with her foster daughter insisting she'd gotten it all out even though mats had still been visible from the back. One day, Lena hoped to be allowed to help. For now, she would offer the right supplies. Growing up, it was a rule of thumb her mom had always referred to: combs were kinder to curly hair. Brushes turned curls into a frizz factory.

Callie nodded politely. She didn't care about her hair as much as Stef and Lena did, but she was curious about what else they'd thought of and was looking forward to the rest. She broke into a smile when her foster mother dug out another t-shirt. This one had piano keys printed up the side. "That's cool!"

"Thought you might like that," Stef said. "Buy one get one fifty off," she told her disapproving wife before continuing to rummage. Finding the clear pencil case she had filled with fruit-shaped erasers and gel pens, she held it up. Callie didn't have one and was always searching for a writing utensil. "For school. And art."

"Thanks," Callie said. That was a nice thought, too.

She was far less enthused when Stef handed her a paper canister. On it was a print of a girl wearing a birthday hat, blowing up a balloon. She gave it to Lena who seemed like she knew what it was all about.

"You found it!" Lena said to Stef as she popped the lid off. The set was called _Birthday Girl_ and the same as what they had purchased for Mariana. While she didn't feel great about bubble baths in general due to the risk of UTI, the fact that it also doubled as a shampoo would make it easier on Callie's routine. They would have her rinse off afterwards.

Callie avoided rolling her eyes as Lena pointed out the cake-scented bath goop. Judging by how particular her foster mothers were about showering, she had a feeling it'd be harder for some of her habits to fly under the radar. She was neither a bath or shower person, preferring to be in and out quickly.

"I did. The line up at that store was awful, though. I don't know how you're able to shop there." Unlike her wife, Stef didn't think Callie would use this but the purchase was pretty low risk given that Mariana would. Their daughter was going through a phase where she was hyperfocused on her body. The girls were night and day.

Wanting to give Callie something a little more exciting, Stef pulled out a pack of silicone no-tie shoelaces. Callie was a shoe masher: instead of untying her laces, she would stand there and wiggle her feet until she could get them into her shoes. This had done a number on the heels of her sneakers. "What's that?" the girl asked. Interest was captured!

"Shoelaces that stretch so you don't have to tie and untie them," she said, winking.

"Oh, coool!"

"They are pretty neat, if I do say so myself." Hunting around some more, she pulled out snacks she had successfully acquired from the vending machine at work: twizzlers, Cheez Its, caramel popcorn, and dunk-a-roos. She held them up to her ears, thrilled with Callie's bright expression.

Lena, on the other hand, was staring daggers. _"_**_Stef_**!" she scolded, only to be met with a pair of mischievous grins.

"I have some healthier options here, don't worry," the cop replied, locating the granola bars and juice pouches and showing Lena. "See?"

"Mhm. Nice save."

Poking fun, Stef pointed at her wife as she spoke to Callie. "I see that she is not all pleased," she remarked as their foster daughter cracked up. She was loving this affect their exchange was having on Callie, bringing to the forefront a side of her they hadn't seen before. Callie was normally shy and quiet—at least around them.

She turned back to Lena. "Thank you. Which reminds me, I saved the best for last." She held up a finger before searching for the box. "Wait for it…" It emerged, slightly squished.

"Seriously? Lucky _Charms_ bars?" Lena said incredulously, horrified at the sugar content.

"What? They're magically delicious. And it's her birthday!"

Callie grinned from ear-to-ear as Stef tossed the marshmallow goodness in her direction. She caught it, hugging it to her chest away from her other, disapproving foster mother. "You're after me Lucky Charms!" she told Lena.

Exasperated, Lena gestured at the 'food' they were referring to. "Believe me, I am not. But you are not going to be allowed to eat all of this at once, sweetheart," she established.

"But it's my birthday!" Callie parroted cheekily.

Lena raised her eyebrows at the perfect replica of Stef. "You didn't mention any of this before," she said, directing her comment to her wife.

"You okayed snacks. And I said I'd get some granola bars, not that I would _only _get granola bars," Stef replied.

"Clearly," Lena said, unimpressed. "Finish up, please. It's getting late."

"Alright, alright. What else do we have here?" Leaning in towards Callie, she put a hand up to her mouth as if to indicate this was between them only. "If you explore all the pockets you might find a gift card in there to a certain establishment that starts with an upside down W," she whispered loudly.

Callie sat bolt upright. "_MICKEY _**_DS_**?!" Lena was gonna lose her shit. Not at her but at Stef!

"**_STEF_**!" Lena snapped in annoyance.

Stef cringed sheepishly. Unlike the snacks, she had explicitly agreed upon _not _including McDonalds. "Mistakes were made," she conceded, "but I'm only a little sorry." She pointed at Callie. "Because she might get hungry."

"I might get hungry," Callie copied, nodding.

Suppressing a smile, Lena swiped the backpack from Stef. She knew exactly what her wife was doing by teaming up with Callie against her—bridging the gap between them. And it was working. Callie was giving them a glimpse of what she was like when her guard was down.

"Not by yourself," Lena said firmly. The closest Golden Arches was a drive away.

"Okay."

Finding what she'd been searching for, Lena handed her the zippered fabric pouch. "You might need these," was all she said of the supplies. "Refills under all three bathroom sinks; no need to ask, just help yourself." She didn't want Callie to go without.

"Thanks for another pencil case!" Callie couldn't figure out why this one was way smaller and why she'd been given two. Opening it, she peered inside at the plastic squares before noticing the other things. "What's with the paper bullets?" she asked, grabbing one for a closer look.

Lena was hard pressed to keep a straight face at the innocent confusion, and even more so when Callie took aim and launched it at Stef. Her wife, who was left speechless, sat there with her mouth agape. "Honey, they're tampons," she said quickly to save Callie from further embarrassment.

Callie held her hands up, dropping the pouch as if was offensive. "Ohh. I don't need that stuff yet," she said, cheeks burning.

Reaching in, Lena pulled out _The_ _Care and Keeping of You_. She had gathered that Callie was a bit of a late bloomer but had also expected puberty to be starting. Now she was glad she had insisted on the book. Also there were copies of the _Hunger Games _trilogy and _The Giver._

"Reading is educational," Stef said with guilt. She was running out of excuses for getting carried away. "You read a lot so I thought you might appreciate having more options," she said to Callie, who was staring at everything piled onto the coffee table and her lap.

"You okay there?"

Callie nodded. "Yeah. Thanks so much. This is like, the best present—I mean, presents, ever." Reflecting on the whole evening, it hit her that she hadn't had a birthday party like this since her Mom was around. She frowned, feeling like those memories were foggy now. Soon, she'd be alive more years than the time she'd had with her and that was a scary thought. It was weird not having her around. Mouth like cotton, she cleared her throat. "I really appreciate you going out of your way to do what you did for me today."

"You're very welcome, but listen." Thinking through her response, Stef gathered items on top of Callie's new pack. "Look at me," she said, leaning in as she waited for the girl's full attention. Intimidated, Callie recoiled into the cushions. "Hear me when I say _this_, Callie, that none of this was out of the way at all. Lena and I were more than happy to celebrate your birthday. We would not have had it any other way." Right on cue and as per family tradition, Lena walked over to place Callie's birthday card on the fireplace mantle. As long as Callie was living with them, they considered her as one of their own.

Satisfied she'd gotten her point across, Stef patted the couch. "Time to pack it in for the night, kiddo. School tomorrow." She watched fondly as Lena tucked the blanket up and around Callie's shoulders once she had laid down. "All good?" she asked before flicking off the lamp. The hallway light coming in allowed just enough illumination for her to see the smile on the child's face.

The affirmation came easily. "All good."

"Alrighty. Sleep well, birthday girl. We'll see you in the morning."


	5. Chapter 5

**Author Note**

My apologies for the lengthy delay in getting this piece wrapped up. Time flies. Enjoy, and I hope to be back with more. ~b'shert

* * *

_Chapter 5_

_"'Listen to the mustn'ts...Listen to the don'ts_

_Listen to the shouldn'ts...The impossibles...the won'ts_

_Listen to the never haves_

_Then listen close to me—_

_Anything can happen...Anything can be.'" - Shel Silverstein_

Like clockwork, Callie fell asleep easily but woke a few hours later. After tossing and turning a bit, she went to check on Jude, the way she'd done for as long as she could remember. He had nightmares and would still have accidents on occasion even though he was too old for them. So she had to make sure he didn't need her help. Luckily, things had gotten better since they'd moved here. Jude had had a few rough nights but none that were terrible. Finding him asleep, she crept back into the family room. Her new foster mothers kept apologizing about her being on the couch but she actually liked camping out on the main floor; close to her brother and separate from the others. Once everyone went upstairs for the night, it was quiet.

In the dark, imagination kicked into overdrive. She found herself wondering what it'd be like to live with this family long term—to suddenly go from just her and Jude to being part of this huge, crazy group that was all at once hokey and kind. Wanting to avoid getting too comfortable, she reminded herself that even if Stef and Lena were nice now, people changed. It was always how it was; things were okay...until they weren't.

Stef sighed heavily at the sound of footsteps downstairs. Her eyes watered, straining to remain open in the glow of the numbers depicting the time. _Twelve-thirty_. Callie always stirred exactly two cycles from when she fell asleep, which usually worked out to be around midnight. Putting on her robe, she padded down the stairs and made her way to the family room, stopping at the threshold to avoid startling the girl. From where she was, she could make out Callie's upright form trying to straighten the sheets. "Hey there. Everything alright, Cal?" she said softly, feeling bad when the girl jumped.

"Ah! Yeah." Heart pounding, Callie tried to slow her breathing. She had no idea how the cop had heard her when she'd been so careful to be quiet. "Sorry," she muttered, taken aback by the lack of perceptible anger.

"Hmm? What for?" Stef said, confused.

"Waking you."

"Oh, you didn't wake me, love. I did night shifts for many, many years and am a light sleeper because of it. Really, you didn't wake me up. I was on my way down to make sure everything was okay," Stef lied. "Can I get you anything? Warm milk or a water?" Seeing that Callie was nervous, the last thing she wanted to do was to rush back to bed. She wanted to stay long enough to ensure the girl was alright—and more importantly, to show that she cared.

"No, thank you. Just can't sleep," Callie replied. It wasn't that big a deal.

"I hate it when that happens," Stef sympathized. Callie was now squeezing her fingers together. "Has anyone tried to help you get back to sleep before? If so, do you remember what helped?" She avoided attributing that question specifically to a parent, though assumed if it'd be anyone it would've been her mother or father. Neither Callie nor Jude had mentioned them yet and she and Lena were being respectful of maintaining that safe space. In due time, with trust, they hoped the siblings would talk to them about life prior to foster care.

Callie stalled as she considered the question. Her Mom had, but that was a long time ago, _obviously_. Apart from that, her waking up was never a concern to anyone except when she woke others up. Her foster mother sounded genuinely concerned, though. Not upset. "Can you read...to me?" she said, deflecting.

"Of course. Do you have something in mind?" Stef asked, helping Callie straighten out the blankets once the girl had settled down on her side. Knees curled up and her back to the cushions, she looked comfortable.

"Maybe...the card?" Callie said softly. A part of her was needing confirmation that she hadn't imagined the whole thing.

"Your birthday card? I'd love to." Grabbing the card and a cushion, Stef planted herself down on the coffee table for a second time that night. It was the perfect distance; close enough so that she could read quietly and still be heard, but far enough so as to not crowd Callie.

Unable to see a thing, Stef turned the lamp on to its dimmest setting. "Okay. Let's see here. '_Happy birthday, Callie. I am sorry we missed your real birthday. Hope you had a great day and we get to hang out soon. Brandon.'" _She began with his message, simply because his handwriting was the largest and easiest to read. She paused, letting that one sink in.

"Alright, this is Mariana. '_Happy belated, Callie! Can't believe you're turning thirteen before me! So jelly.' _Hm, maybe that's teenage girl speak that you'll be able to decipher," Stef said. She was just as confused by that word the second time around. 'XOXO'

Callie chewed her bottom lip, hiding the fact she wanted to laugh. "That means jealous."

"Ohh, I see. Thought you might know something about that." The woman frowned, turning the card towards the light so she could better see Jude's writing. His penmanship needed a lot of work, as did his spelling and grammar. "Alright, let's see here... '_Happy, happy birthday Callie! Your the BEST big sister I cold ever ask for and more, I love you lots, can't wait for when we can be in the same billding for school so then I won't miss you the hole day. I love u Callie! Juje.' _

Her vision blurred at the eight-year-old's sweet message, and its subtle truth: that he hadn't yet made any friends. She had no doubt he would; Jude was a likeable, easygoing boy. He and Callie just hadn't been at Anchor Beach very long. Still, growing pains were never fun for children and parents alike.

"That's really sweet of your brother," Stef remarked. "Last one is from Jesus." Their younger son's spelling also needed some attention. "'_Hey Calie. We havent realy gotten to chill together yet but you seem realy cool and I cant wait to do stuff together. Happy belated by the way. I hope you stay becuz I always wanted a big sister. Even though Mari and I are twins, I was first so am older teknickly.'_" Stef laughed; birth order was always something the twins ragged on each other about.

"That's nice of everyone," Callie said in a small voice. A card maxed out in space from being filled with messages was, hands down, the nicest thing a family had done for her. She couldn't remember the last time she'd gotten something so thoughtful.

Stef hummed thoughtfully, recognizing what they took for granted in their home others couldn't. "They were so excited for you. I hope you had a fun day, even if it came late. I am so sorry again."

"No, it was fun," Callie replied. "...doesn't matter it was late." Suddenly, she was hit with a realization that something was off. "One's missing."

"Hm?"

"The one you and your wife wrote. You forgot."

Stef had to smile at Callie's bluntness in holding her accountable. "You're right. I did." Stef went back to the message she and Lena had written together before circulating the card among the kids.

_"Wishing you a very Happy Belated Birthday, Callie. _

_Thirteen__?! _

_We are privileged to be a part of your life for such a momentous occasion. It is an exciting time, and we hope you will find our home a safe place you can count on having, on your way to becoming a full fledged teenager. Our intention is to walk with you as long as you need us to. (Yes, even when you might not want us to, or know that you'd like us to). _

_Look forward to getting to know each other over the next little while. Lots of love and hugs, Lena and Stef."_

"Yeah you heard that right. A full fledged teenager! My goodness," the cop remarked as a goofy smile crept across Callie's face. "Sure I can't get you anything? I can make a hot Ovaltine."

"I dunno what that is," Callie managed before yawning a big yawn.

"It's a malty chocolate drink," Stef explained. This kid was tired. Not only physically from interrupted sleep, but she was guessing mentally drained from being hypervigilant when around them. "Do you want to start one of your new books?" she tried when Callie didn't say anything. She didn't want to leave until she was sure the girl was settled.

The pause was long enough that it almost convinced her Callie had drifted off...until a barely coherent request for her to read the card again was mumbled out. More than happy to oblige, Stef did so_—_in as slow and monotonous a tone as she could manage without putting herself to sleep. The child's eyelids fluttered open and closed, and impatience came easy at her efforts not having the desired effect. However, Stef understood why Callie didn't feel completely safe to sleep in a new place, and around a stranger on top of it all.

Callie was nearly out by the time she finished round two of birthday messages. Proud of herself for being able to lull her to sleep, she looked over their newest family member. Lips pursed and cheeks puffed in sleep, she was having trouble picturing the youth as an offender. There was no way this kid had participated in the delinquency they said she had. "Hope you can get comfortable here," she whispered. Thirteen was a coming of age, filled with hope and excitement of things to look forward to for so many kids. That had obviously not been the case for Callie. More than ever, she needed people who would root for her and inspire her to keep trucking forward.

It was then that something unexpected caught her attention. Something that shouldn't have been there.

Bruising was visible in the gap between the waistband of Callie's pyjamas and the edge of her top which had ridden up. The patchwork way it snaked around the hip bone told her whatever had caused it had likely been from repeated impact. And while her mind tried to rationalize its way into having her believe it was from a routine knock or a bump from childhood, hypervigilance indicated it was a casualty from the last placement the kids had been at.

Needing to take a closer look, Stef cleared her throat to check if Callie would wake. "Can I fix your blanket? I'm going to pull it up a little so you're all cozy," she explained, being careful with her assessment. No one liked their personal space intruded upon, and she suspected Callie least of all.

Not getting anything that resembled a response, she leaned in to tug the comforter up past belly button level. Callie's eyes immediately flew open as the fabric brushed against bare skin before rolling back just as quick.

Closer up, Stef could make out other marks. Silvery white ones around the torso looked like stretch marks upon first glance, but weren't uniform in the way that would be expected of naturally-occurring scars.

"What happened to you…?" She was certain that if Callie had any ability or willingness to answer her truthfully it would be to say 'a lot.' She was convinced her foster daughter had been intentionally hurt before. Intuition had pointed to that from the get go—but the evidence was so glaring now she could no longer deny it for her own comfort.

Right in that moment, Callie let out a sigh. It was as though a part of her foster daughter was relieved that, for the first time, someone had asked what had happened _to_ her rather than what _she_ had done.

"You're safe here. You're safe with Lena and I," Stef said, thankful that luck had brought Callie and Jude into their lives.

She had absolutely no intention of letting them go. None whatsoever, because she was determined to have them stay.

No. These kids were where they belonged.


End file.
